Never knew antique shopping was so fun

I never saw myself antique shopping on vacation but after a recent close encounter in an antique store that might change.

I like watching the show American Pickers on television. They always educate you as to what an item was used for and why someone might think it was valuable today. It always amazes me the silly things that people pay good money to own and sit on a shelf.

I’ve also been known to wear my wife out at garage sales. Even though I complain about going to them, I have to look through the boxes and dicker for the little stuff I might not need but figure I’ll never find again.

The wife, on the other hand, is a drive-by garage sale gangsta. She can tell if there’s anything worth getting out of the car for. She can make 10 garage sales and still be at the donut shop within the hour if we go at her pace. I think she really only goes garage sale shopping because we always get donuts.

I’ve always heard people talk about going antiquing and it always sounded boring and expensive to me. But this place on the square in Brady, Texas caught my eye while we were on vacation. I told my wife I was going in, she could leave the car going for the air conditioning because I would be back quick.

The first store was pretty run of the mill and what I envisioned an antique store should be. Lots of expensive stuff used to decorate and dust continually. The lady asked if I’d been in the other buildings and said they owned four on that block. Intrigued about what they could put into four shops I went into the one next door and was transported.

The first thing to catch my eye was a display of old hats of all conditions types and sizes. Then a full tiger mount stopped me in my tracks for a second.

Around the corner I began to catch the place’s sense of humor as someone stuffed a large clear bottle full of dentures. Behind that display was an old-time OB-GYN ward complete with two doctor mannequins delivering twins for an agitated new mother up in the stirrups.

There was an extensive doll display and in front of it they had stuffed a clear mannequin body full of doll arms and legs.

Back in the very back corner, in what might have been a closet or tiny store room was the baby funeral parlor with several real baby coffins, one with what I sure hope was a baby doll in it.

On my way out I encountered a friendly man who must have been one of the owners with a real nonchalant way about him. He didn’t seem real interested in making sure I bought something, so I didn’t.

As I turned around to find my way out, I passed a long table with an older gentleman working away on his laptop computer on one side and a taxidermy mount of a raccoon doing the same thing on the other side of the table.

I think I might have left our planet for just a little while. I’m glad I took the trip.

Karl Terry writes for Clovis Media Inc. Contact him at:

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